Abstract: A federated identity verification system includes an identity provider that provides security tokens ultimately to one or more relying parties for access by the client to services at a relying party. Specifically, the relying party can validate the security token from an identity provider (whether directly or via a client) when verifying that the received security token conforms to security configuration data previously exchanged with the identity provider. To establish the trust relationship, the identity provider and one or more relying parties exchange security configuration information through an agreed-to communication channel. The security configuration information indicates the settings that the other party needs to use for establishing, maintaining, and/or monitoring the trust relationship. The communication channel allows both parties to flexibly and continually synchronize changes to security configurations, and thus maintain, change, or end the trust relationship automatically, as desired.